Monday, 30 May 2016

Following his announcement to quit French League side Paris Saint-Germain, superstar forward Zlatan Ibrahimović has revealed plans to unveil a sportswear brand, which will be released to the public on the 7th June at an event in Paris.

The Swedish football player has revealed that the name of the brand will be A-Z, and the launch will be streamed live online.

“A pair of expensive shoes has never made an athlete. Neither has a T-shirt, a pair of tights or a membership at a fancy gym. No equipment ever has. To go the whole distance from A-Z, from amateur to Zlatan, you have to practice. That’s my philosophy", the former Barcelona player said of his new brand.

TMT Finance, the global telecom investment news and events provider, and IHS Towers, the largest mobile telecommunications infrastructure provider in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, have announced the launch of the inaugural TMT Finance Africa in Lagos, Nigeria conference on September 20, 2016.

The conference will gather key leadership from telecom, media and technology companies, global and regional financial institutions, government representatives, investors, professional and legal advisers to assess the best opportunities for co-investment and partnership across the Africa.

“We are delighted to partner with TMT Finance for this event which will bring key telecom, media and technology focused international institutions and investors to Lagos,” said IHS Towers Co-founder and Interim IHS Nigeria CEO Mohamad Darwish. “Nigeria, being Africa’s largest economy, has always been a large hub for investments into Africa, and this Lagos event is proof of this continued phenomenon. As telecommunications, media and technology continue to converge, sustaining investment in development is critical to the sector. We hope that this conference will create a valuable platform for all players in the region to contribute to an exchange of ideas.”

Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Nigeria’s leading noodles brand, Indomie Instant Noodles, has once again proven its commitment to Nigerian children as it organised a fun-filled children’s party for over 100, 000 school children as part of activities to mark the 2016 children’s day celebration.

One of this year’s celebrations held at the Apapa Amusement Park, Lagos State hosted over 7,000 thousand children from different schools within Lagos to a fanfare celebrations which definitely left an indelible mark in the heart of every attendee, as Indomie gave an amazing treats to both the kids and their guardians to participate in various fun activities which include bumper car, carousel, the rockets, the pirates’ ship, the spinner, the tea cup, disco ride, and the air bicycle, all in a bid to deepen the social interactions of Nigerian Kids which are the heroes of today and leaders of tomorrow.

Expressing delight at this year’s celebration, the First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode represented by Mrs. Adeola Rotinwa, stated that the Children’s day holiday is a day set aside for kids to merry and enjoy and also to magnify the importance of kids in our world, and the various roles they play in making the world a better place for all through their acts of selflessness, devotion, pureness of heart and display of love.

Activities marking the Heritage Bank Children Banking Month peaked at the weekend with the celebration of the Nigerian child, when it feted children in the "biggest children's party of the year" at the King's College Annex grounds, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Sponsored by the bank's kiddies account, the Bud Account, under the theme, "Taking the Early Lead," over 700 children gathered to be treated to various great and exciting experiences that included both physical and cerebral exercises, in which many prizes were won to the delight of watchful parents who were also not left out of the fun.

The Managing Director of Heritage Bank, Mr Ifie Sekibo, congratulated the children on their special recognition and celebration by the country every year on May 27 because of the importance of their position as the destiny of our great nation, Nigeria.

Sekibo, who was represented by the Executive Director, Lagos/Southwest & Corporate Banking, Mrs Mary Akpobome, reiterated the objective of the bank to do all that it can to equip the Nigerian Child with the requisite knowledge they require to be remarkable leaders of the future.

The increasing high rate of stress in Nigeria has been described as alarming hence the decision of foremost pharmaceutical, Klak to come out with a strategic solution.

According to Emmanuel Olouha, the Managing Director and CEO of Klat, Pharmaceutical , the decision to introduce the Ginklat capsule into the Nigerian market stems from the need to solve teeming stress related issues that affects both male and female, young and old. The super combo effect of this drug makes it a premium capsule.

Ginklat is an ingenious capsule that eliminates physical and mental stress and also boosts erection for men. That’s why it is tagged as the Super Magic Vitamin.

Lenovo Group have announced results for its fourth fiscal quarter and full-year ended March 31, 2016. Lenovo strengthened its core PC business, enhanced its cost structure and protected its profit, despite facing internal and external challenges that impacted revenue, which was US$9.1 billion, down 19 percent year-over-year, while annual revenue was US$44.9 billion, down 3 percent year-over-year.

At the same time, the largest restructuring program in Lenovo’s history delivered a better cost structure with US$690 million of savings in the 2nd half of the year, sending 4th quarter PTI up 86 percent year-over-year to US$193 million. Annual loss before tax was US$277 million. Fourth quarter net income was up 80 percent year-over-year to US$180 million, while full year net loss was US$128 million, even after US$330 million in non-cash M&A related accounting charges.

“Last quarter, despite challenging economic and industry conditions that hurt our top line, the decisive actions we took mid-year allowed us to protect our profitability. We kept our core PC business strong, continuously improved profitability in enterprise and saw positive momentum in some key smartphone markets.” said Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo Chairman and CEO.

First black female Member of Parliament (MP), Ms. Diane Abbott MP, will today deliver the Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria Spring Lecture 2016 scheduled to hold on Monday, 30th May at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos by 1:00pm.

The stalwart British politician brings her wealth of experience in education, socio-economic development and international relations to bear at the forthcoming Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria 2016 Spring Lecture.

In addition to being one of the most recognizable politicians in the United Kingdom (UK), Ms. Abbott is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.

In 1987 Diane Abbott made history by becoming the first black woman ever elected to the British Parliament. She has since built a distinguished career as a parliamentarian, broadcaster and commentator. In 2015, she was re-elected to her Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency with a landslide majority and, in September 2015, was appointed Shadow Secretary for International Development.

Gulder, the premium lager beer from Nigerian Breweries Plc celebrated its ambassador, Mr. Yemi Olatunji, better known as Yemi Blaq, who turned a year older on Thursday, May 19th, 2016.

The birthday ceremony took place last week with his colleagues, friends and officials of Nigerian Breweries during the Nollywood Beer Academy, sponsored by Nigerian Breweries Plc, in Ibadan, Oyo State. Edem Vindah, Corporate Media/Brand PR Manager, NB Plc, explained that the brand is proud of Yemi Blaq because he represents Gulder’s ideals of the “real man who is responsible, hardworking, demonstrates leadership and respect for others.”

Gulder, Edem added, stands for the ultimate sign of achievement, masculinity, respect, self-assurance and success and also a premium quality beer for young success conscious men and women

Blaq, who became a Gulder brand ambassador last year, came into the movie industry in 2005. He has featured in over 250 films and he is seen as a hard working movie producer and one of the most famous in Nollywood.

In a bid to show that technology is important in every aspect of our lives, Microsoft Nigeria has announced it is partnering with Socialiga, the organizers of the 2016 The SociaLiga Football League which kicks off on Saturday, 28th May 2016 and would run for six months (May - November) (10 Game Weeks).

According to the organizers of the football league, the sporting event will help hundreds of young people discover and fulfill their passion, keeping them fit and productive, as well as effectively providing a platform for them to utilize their time offline, and as well, promote the games effectively on social media.

Also, the competition would afford consumers, leveraging the football league to educate them on the vulnerabilities consumers expose themselves to, when they use pirated software, while also directing them on the right path to locating genuine software.

The much celebrated Promasidor Quill Awards Season 4 came to an end on Friday when a correspondent with Guardian Newspapers Limited, Ajibola Amzat was declared the overall winner at the event held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos. The new title holder, Amzat, took over from Taiwo Alimi, the overall winner for the 2014-2015 edition.

Apart from the plaque, high-end iPad and the company’s products given to the overall winner, Amzat will also be sent to London, as part of the prize for the award, for an all-expense paid four-week multi-media journalism training course with Thomson Foundation.

Aside winning the overall trophy, Amzat also clinched the Category award for the Best Report on Children and Nutrition, thereby making a total of two awards he smiled home with. Amzat won the two awards with the entry he submitted for the Best Report on Children and Nutrition, Home Away. In that category, entries submitted by other nominees: Olatunji Ololade of The Nation, I Do Not Want This Child; and Isioma Madike of Sunday Telegraph, Hunger and The Nigerian Child; could not defeat that of Amzat.

Other awardees at the event include Olatunji Ololade of The Nation, who won the award for the Best CSR and Industry Report of the Year; Tobi Aworinde of The Punch, the Education Reporter of the Year; and Nurain Kolawole Aliu of Leadership, the Best Photo Story of the Year.

Computer Engineering student of Lagos State Polytechnic, Abdulrazak Ayinde, has emerged winner of new Hyundai i10 in the ‘Smart Savers Promo,’ an initiative of Access Bank powered by Airtel Nigeria to enable Nigerians open bank accounts directly from their mobile phones.

Draws and prize presentation in the Smart Savers promo were conducted recently at the Access Bank branch at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos in the presence of officials of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and Nigerian National Lottery and Regulatory Council (NLRC).

Ayinde, HND I student of Lagos Polytechnic, emerged winner for the month of April, while another customer, Ali Ahummed who is currently in Borno State, emerged winner for March. About two and a half hours after the winners were contacted on phone, a pleasantly surprised Ayinde arrived at the Access Bank branch to redeem his prize.

British Airways has debunked media report that it is planning to stop operations to Nigeria over its $100m trapped in the country.

The carrier said the publication that it had concluded plans to exit the country was untrue, claiming that it never issued any statement to the media indicating such.

A United States based carrier, United Airlines had announced last week that it would leave Nigerian route next month over inability to repatriate its ticket proceeds trapped in Central Bank of Nigeria.

The announcement fuelled speculations that other international carriers might follow suit with a foreign media suggesting in a report at the weekend that British Airways is considering to leave the Nigeria.

Friday, 27 May 2016

Reputation Management agency, Magna Carta on Wednesday emerged the Africa PR Consultancy of the year category at the SABRE Awards in Berlin, Germany.

The awards were hosted by the Holmes Report, with their editors having reviewed the performance of 400 agencies based on their Report Card research process. The judging process was extensive, involving hundreds of submissions from the best public relations and strategic communications firms from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Magna Carta was nominated along with four other African PR agencies for the award: Epic MSGLROUP, Atmosphere, Burson-Marsteller, and Djembe Communications.

Global hospitality group AccorHotels have been announced as the 11th sponsor of Paris’ bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The bid has a revenue target of €30 million (US$33.54 million), and the new deal with AccorHotels brings its current sponsorship revenue up to €22 million (US$24.59 million).

The remaining revenue is expected to be achieved later this month as the final raft of sponsors is secured.

AccorHotels, a French-based firm, recently opened France’s biggest multi-purpose auditorium, the AccorHotels Arena. If Paris were to win the bid, the state of the art venue would be used to host the Olympic judo and basketball competitions.

Hill+Knowlton Strategies has been named EMEA Agency of the Year at the SABRE Awards in Berlin. “This award, in a category with so many strong nominees, is testament to all the hard work and excellence of our teams across the region”, says Lars Erik Grønntun, President and CEO of H+K EMEA.

The SABRE awards are among the most prestigious awards in the communications industry. This year’s award ceremony took place in Berlin on May 25th, and Hill+Knowlton Strategies were nominated for the EMEA Agency of the Year alongside Burson-Marsteller, Edelman, Ogilvy PR and Weber Shandwick.

Kenya’s leading online retailer, Jumia has launched its second white paper on mobile trends in Kenya at a press conference held at the Laico Regency in Nairobi. The launch coincides with a week-long sale with huge discounts on mobile phones, in partnership with manufacturers; Infinix, Tecno, Wiko, X-Tigi and Innjoo. It takes place between May 30th and June 3rd.

The paper, takes a look at mobile trends across Africa and Kenya. In particular, the paper looks at how mobile penetration, massive growth of internet connectivity and e-commerce have converged to change consumer behaviour and retail in Kenya. The paper thus offers quantitative insights into the usage patterns, consumption, choices, lifestyle and habits of mobile phone users in Kenya through a survey conducted by Jumia.Parinaz Firozi, MD Jumia Kenya said, “Kenya’s digital landscape proves beyond doubts that the time is ripe to make mobile the first priority in every business strategy.”

The conference also saw a hamper of six new smartphone model launches from the gold partners including Wiko Fever, Innjoo fire 2 and Fire 2 Plus, Innjoo Halo Plus, Infinix Hot 3 LTE and Tecno 7E Tablet that will retail at; Ksh. 19,999, 7,569, 11,769, 6,129, 11,699 and 14,499 respectively in the sale dubbed Mobile Week Reloaded, the second of its kind in the country.

On this week’s episode of Lip Sync Battle Africa, popular actresses Joselyn Dumas and Funke Akindele will be putting aside their acting careers as they battle it out in MTV Base’s (DStv channel 322) epic lip syncing competition.

Premiering on MTV Base on Saturday night at 6pm, will be filled with so much energy as the gorgeous “Jenifa” star and the Ghanaian beauty Dumas ignite the stage in their efforts to impress the studio audience.

Commenting on her appearance in the upcoming episode, Funke Akindele remarked, “I’m sure people will be expecting to see a lot of ‘Jenifa’ inspired dance moves, but I have a lot more in store for my fans. I’m going to have fun bringing some real Nigerian flavour to the stage, and showing Joselyn Dumas that Nigerians are not just better at Jollof.”

Ghanaian actress Joselyn Dumas added, “I was highly elated; when I found out I was going to be on Lip Sync Battle Africa and going up against Funke Akindele has proven to be exciting and scary at the same time. We all know how energetic Funke can be.”

Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Fifa’s deputy secretary general has been fired with immediate effect after the discovery of a secret bonus scheme that paid out millions of dollars over a period of years.

FIFA said Kattner was fired after an internal investigation said he allegedly broke his legal responsibilities to the organization "in connection with his employment contract."

The 45-year-old German official was due payments worth millions of dollars over a six-year period from 2008-14 from additions to his contract, a person familiar with the FIFA investigation said Monday.

The extra payments were known to then-President Blatter and then-secretary general Jerome Valcke, Kattner's immediate boss in that period.

In 2007, Kattner got the deputy secretary general title after Blatter hired Valcke for the top administrative job. Kattner was promoted in an interim role when Valcke was suspended last September for financial wrongdoing and then fired in January.

Alcatel Nigeria has announced a brand-new PIXI experience: the PIXI 4 family offers premium entry-level smartphones and tablets with a comprehensive user experience in design, audio, camera and battery life.

“At Alcatel, we are committed to giving consumers more for less. This is evident in the rich features of our devices. Compared with other smart devices in the same segment, the PIXI 4 family offers an unprecedented user experience thanks to features like Arkamys optimized speakers and Polaroid filters,” said Nick Imudia, Regional Director, Nigeria and Central Africa at ALCATEL.

Seductive DesignWith its compact form, the PIXI 4 family is among the slimmest models in the entry-level segment. It comes in a rainbow of colors, from cool, metallic silver to eye-popping, candy-colored brights.

BBDO SA has announced the promotion of Net#work BBDO’s managing director Boniswa Pezisa to Group CEO. Stepping into her MD position is current deputy managing director Gau Narayanan, who will assume the role of MD of Net#work BBDO.

BBDO SA executive chairman Keith Shipley says Pezisa has been with the agency for just short of twenty-one years.

“Mike Schalit and I have worked alongside Boniswa since the beginning and it’s been under her leadership that Net#work has enjoyed its recent surge of success," Shipley says. "Her unrelenting approach to a challenge, incredible skill with people and general joie de vivre are all elements that helped build the foundation of the agency,"

Pezisa is an active and well respected icon of the industry, says Shipley. In addition to BBDO responsibilities, she is the deputy chairperson of the Association for Communication & Advertising (ACA), sits on the advertising standards consumer complaints committee of the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASASA) and is the past chairperson of the Loeries Awards Company.

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced Tuesday that the largest single delivery of praziquantel tablets in the history of the Merck Praziquantel Donation Program recently arrived in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.

The west African country has received around 34 million tablets for mass distribution to school children. With this, Merck has donated more tablets to a single country than it did to the entire continent in 2012 (27 million).

On Tuesday in Geneva, Nigeria's Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, expressed his country's thanks to Merck and the World Health Organization (WHO) for their joint efforts in the fight against the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis.

Stefan Oschmann, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck, met the minister on the occasion of the 69th World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of WHO, in Geneva. The participants included Dr. Kesetebirhan Admasu, Minister of Health of Ethiopia, as well as WHO Assistant Director-General Dr. Ren Minghui.

The selection party which was well graced by lovers of Fuji music in Ota, also witnessed a massive turnout of indigenes and entertainment lovers who came to show support for the brand, Goldberg as well as their favorite Fuji contestant.

One of the talented artistes, Muhammed Adewale said that ‘Fuji music is my life. It has been my favorite music since childhood and the only music I am really accustomed to as an individual. I hope to win this competition not just because of my passion and exposure to Fuji but because I see Fuji music as a way of life and would love to take it on professionally. This is why I have fully associated myself with Goldberg as a brand for bringing my life to me.’

Netherlands-based brewing giant Heineken is considering to hire a second global media agency to work alongside Starcom.

Heineken appointed Starcom in 2012 for the global consolidated media account, after the Publicis Groupe network fought off Mindshare in a competitive pitch.

The review is being run through AAR and led by Gregory Kukolj, the global head of media and digital at Heineken. Kukolj told Adweek that Heineken was not looking to add competition between media agencies but was about “future proofing our media partnership”.

The blind auditions for The Voice Nigeria came to a thrilling end as the coaches once again campaigned for some of the best talent out of Africa. The final auditions had some of the best voices on display and at the end of Sunday’s episode each coach had the maximum number of 12 talents as they prepare for the upcoming battle stages.

#Team2baba scored big with Theodora, a throwback talent reminiscent of the legendary Tina Turner, and the charismatic DNA, identical twin brothers with powerful voices. #TeamPatoranking won over Nonso Bassey, a federal civil servant and the strong-voiced Osuwake Omini. #TeamTimi won over the songstress Viveeyan and the much lauded music teacher Cornel, who wowed the coaches and audience alike with his powerful, Motown-esque voice, whilst #TeamWaje won over Michael, who decided to go with his gut feeling after ironically performing Timi Dakolo’s hit song, ‘Iyawo Mi.’

Sunday’s episode was a fitting climax to the blind auditions and viewers can now expect even more intrigue and a heightened sense of competition as the talents now go head to head in a bid to get the coaches to select the best of the crop.

The 2016 Promasidor Quill Awards will hold on Friday, May 27, 2016 at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos.

Winners of the different categories of the 4th Season of the Awards will be unveiled at the event. The categories are: Best Report on Children and Nutrition, Brand Advocate of the Year; Best CSR and Industry Report of the Year; Best Photo Story of the Year; Education Reporter of the Year; Best Online Reporter of the Year; and Future Writer of the Year.

According to the Head, Legal/Public Relations of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Andrew Enahoro, while the winners of the different categories will be rewarded with work tools, the overall winner will be sponsored to attend a course at the Thomson Foundation in the United Kingdom to further hone his/her journalistic skills.

He assured that Promasidor will not relent in contributing to development of journalism practice in Nigeria. His words: “Promasidor Quill Awards is committed to setting the pace in rewarding journalists based on merit for their work and not a self-seeking approach to get accolades, but a professional platform of assessment, recognition and reward for outstanding journalistic work”.

After an insightful first webinar focusing on women entrepreneurs, Djembe Communications, the Pan-African communications consultancy is geared to host its next webinar entitled “Africa Jobs 2020” on June 9, 2016.

Kevin Nolan

The live webcast will address the topic of youth employment with entrepreneurs being the continent’s game-changers of job creation and paving the way for entrepreneurship opportunities for youth across Africa.

Renowned panelists including leading African influencers and business leaders will share their perspectives on how the employment, entrepreneurial spirit, and new technologies can work toward ensuring that all young people in Africa have access to building more prosperous livelihoods.

Monday, 23 May 2016

AJ+ has expanded its presence in the video on demand market with a new digital experience on Android TV. This is the third big screen experience from AJ+, following the launch of its apps for Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

The video on demand apps are a natural outlet for AJ+'s expansive content library and distribution strategy, which has been driven by native mobile and social distribution of content to date.

The new Android TV App allows users to consume and engage with AJ+ content and features comments from the mobile app. Viewers can comment on stories through the mobile app, adding depth to the engagement experience.

With just over a year since its inception in September 2014, AJ+ has built a unique and captivating content catalogue in the news and information space, with innovative formats of video-centric content. The AJ+ team will be curating content specifically for Apple TV, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV audiences.

Our attention has been drawn to media reports regarding a court judgment alleged to have been entered against the Federal Government of Nigeria and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in respect of an action by the Socio-Economic Rights Agenda (SERAP) pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

The High Court, according to the media reports, ordered the Federal government and Dr. Okonjo Iweala to provide information relating to N30 trillion Naira allegedly unaccounted for.

Friends, family and of course colleagues in the IMC industry took to social media to celebrate her with birthday wishes, prayers and praises.

Mrs. Oke is one of the few female marketing communications specialists that have excelled in the male dominated industry.

As the pioneer Chief Operating Officer/Executive Director of 141 Worldwide, she has lead a prolific team of professionals over the last seven years, and built 141 into a prominent world-class advertising agency in Nigeria.

Following the successful launch of its “10 minutes to charge” G.Power smartphone in Nigeria recently, leading global innovation and ICT solutions provider, Huawei has launched two affordable mid-range devices, the Huawei GR3 and Huawei GR5. The newly launched smartphones are 4G supported with a sleek metal finishing, and unique features that will cater to a wide range of customers’ preferences.

The Huawei GR3 features an ultra slim design that is comfortable for single handed use & a 160゜wide viewing angle screen, and a choice from three high-end metal color options, including titanium gray, silver and champagne gold. The Huawei GR3’s 5 inch display is the ultimate in visual experience, paired with a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 5 Mega pixel front camera for amazing panoramic selfies.

The Huawei GR3 is made with aerospace grade material and a solid and powerful octa core processor with 2 GigaBytes of RAM and support for up to 128 GigaBytes of Micro SD Card storage.

The Manufacturing Association of Nigeria has inaugurated its Large Corporation Group, which will amongst other things come up with policy recommendations that will lead to a conducive economic and social climate for the operation and development for large scale industries in Nigeria.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, MAN’s President Mr. Frank Udemba said one of the most crucial tasks before the Large Corporation Group is the facilitation effective linkage between small/medium scale industries and large scale industries in the production and supply value chain. Mr. Udemba said linkage is critical in the task of making Nigeria a manufacturing hub in the sub region and beyond.

Mr. Frank Udemba

On her part, the Minister of State for Trade and Industry Hajia Aisha Abubakar said the Federal Government was committed to creating the enabling environment for manufacturing to thrive in the country and that the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is government’s strategic partner in achieving this task. She said the tough conditions that manufacturer’s face in Nigeria notably inadequate power was a top priority for the present administration.

Spanish Liga football club Barcelona has extended a partnership with sportswear company Nike in a deal reportedly worth a world record total of €155m ($174m) per season.

The Catalan giants have been partnered with the American sports apparel giant since 1998 and are set to receive a major financial boost with the latest commercial deal.

The Camp Nou team’s current arrangement with Nike is said to earn it $37 million a year. It was set to run until the summer of 2018.

Commenting on the deal, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said: “We are excited by this new agreement and are confident we will be able to celebrate continued sporting successes together.” Barcelona and Nike signed their first partnership back in 1998.

Friday, 20 May 2016

All is now set for the 2016 African Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference. The event which is held in association with Association Union Commission (AUC) will take place between 24th to 27th May, 2016 at the Calabar International Convention Centre (CICC), Cross River.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo will chair the event.

This year’s conference, which promises to be a perfect blend of business and pleasure, will feature reputable speakers and facilitators from across Africa, plenary sessions, keynote addresses, workshops, exhibitions and networking opportunities. While delegates will also savour Calabar’s unique cuisine, experience its cultural heritage, visit tourist destinations and enjoy film & musical shows.

The Conference themed, ‘Leapfrogging Africa: The Role of Communication’, and it is expected to bring together some of the best minds in Public Relations and Communication, numbering about 500 from across the African continent and beyond at the prestigious CICC – a world class facility and first of its kind in Africa.

Speaking about the conference, the Secretary General of the Association, Mr. Yomi Badejo Okusanya, said that the theme is deliberate because the key challenges of Africa lie in communication.

Nigeria’s leading and award winning brand and marketing magazine MARKETING EDGE publications, has concluded plans to hold the 2016 edition of its two-in-one high profile annual event that includes a National Marketing Stakeholders Summit and Brands and Advertising Excellence Award, to celebrate practitioners in the marketing and advertising professions.

Both events will take place on Friday 17th June 2016 at the high-profile Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos. The theme of this year’s summit is BRAND POSITIONING IN A DIGITAL AGE: CHALLENGES IN A DEVELOPING MARKET. The summit will hold 4pm, and it will be followed immediately by the award ceremony.

Publisher of MARKETING EDGE, Mr. John Ajayi

According to the publisher of MARKETING EDGE, Mr. John Ajayi, the theme for this year’s summit is very apt because Nigeria is already a part of the digital age, therefore brands need to be properly positioned to maximize the benefits of digitalization to make the most of their Return On Investment (ROI).

Specifically, the publisher said “the digital age has heralded a new dawn for all. Today’s market is daily defined and determined by the various dynamics in the social media and brands must of necessity tap into the limitless opportunities in the new media which has created more engagement platforms between the brands and the various target consumers.”

Uber unveiled its first self-driving car recently, announcing it had begun testing an autonomous vehicle on the streets of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“If you’re driving around Pittsburgh in the coming weeks you might see a strange sight: a car that looks like it should be driven by a superhero,” said a statement from the ride-sharing giant.

“But this is no movie prop — it’s a test car from Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center (ATC) in Pittsburgh.”

Uber said it was “still in the early days of our self-driving efforts,” and was “focused on getting the technology right and ensuring it’s safe for everyone on the road — pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers.”

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), parent company of the Ecobank Group, and Old Mutual Emerging Markets (OMEM), a part of the Old Mutual Group, today announced an enhanced strategic agreement that will strengthen existing ties between the leading pan-African bank and the insurance and asset management giant.

Old Mutual Emerging Markets currently has a bank assurance partnership with the Ecobank Group. This latest agreement will grow the existing strategic alliance by offering seamless insurance services to Ecobank clients across selected countries where the two groups have operations. Clients will benefit mutually though access to a range of financial services that include life insurance, savings and short-term insurance solutions across a greater network on the African continent.

Ecobank Group CEO Ade Ayeyemi said plans for the integrated model include providing access to Old Mutual solutions for Ecobank’s banking operations across selected countries. “This is a productive and valued partnership between two pan-African institutions to provide complete financial services solutions to our customers,” he said.

Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Nigeria’s most preferred and consumed noodle brand - Indomie Instant Noodles has once again given life to its healthy nutrition product portfolio, by adding a new Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) to its range of products with the introduction of its new Onion Chicken flavour which comes in a mouth filling 120gram size.

Speaking on the new Indomie Onion Chicken Flavour in 120g, the Brand Manager, Indomie, Mr. Amber Yadav, said that the entry of the new SKU which no doubt adds to the array of product sizes that can be purchased off the shelf, is birth out of the desire to offer a more mouthful and yet nutritious offering to it vast consumers.

Amber who expressed delight at the acceptance of the product by the consumer said the new offering became a necessity as consumer research and insight showed a growing affinity for the Onion chicken flavour variant amongst many adults and hence a desire to have it in a bigger and more mouth filling size, and as a consumer responsive brand, we had to attend swiftly to the consumer’s bid.

Olashore International School will be organizing supplementary examinations for all candidates whose parents are still interested in seeking admission for their children/wards into the school. The exam which is scheduled hold by 11.00am on the 4th of June is open to primary school students across the country that will be at least 10 years old by September of 2016. The examination is also open to transfer candidates intending to enter other classes.

The principal, Mr Derek Smith, stated that "The school is set to hold the supplementary examination at various venues to the reach of potential candidates. We are committed to keep raising the standards, and remain top of mind for secondary school education in Nigeria. This is a reflection of the increasing demand by Nigerians for global standard secondary school education in Nigeria that promotes core Nigerian morals and cultural values.”

After a rigorous and highly competitive contest, 10 contestants – out of the hundreds that turned out – have scaled the first Selection Party hurdle at the fourth edition of Nigeria’s number one Fuji music talent hunt show, Goldberg Fuji t’o Bam. The Selection Parties were held at Samkoll Garden, Ikotun, Lagos State and 3AD Bar, Idiroko Road, Ota Ota, Ogun State.

For the Selection Party held at Ikotun, the following are the five lucky contestants that made it to the next stage of the competition: Abiodun Oloto, Alhaji Wasiu, Azeez Wasiu, Oyeniyi Ismaila, and Ajani Azeez. Similarly, Saheed Ishola, Saheed Milo, Muhammed Adewale, Jabele Saheed and Ayinde Lukman have qualified from the Ota Centre.

Speaking on the contest, Ismaila, who came from Osogbo, Osun State purposely to participate in the talent hunt, disclosed that he had been singing since 15 years now. According to him, he already has a dedicated band, but the team has not waxed any record yet. His words: “I started singing Fuji music 15 years ago. I now have a band, but we perform at occasions like naming, birthday, house warming, and burial ceremonies. He also disclosed that he operates a barbing salon which keeps him busy whenever there is no ceremony to attend.

BET Africa, part of Viacom’s African multimedia entertainment portfolio, today announced the nominations for the 2016 "BET Awards" taking place at Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, on Sunday 26 June, and premiering across Africa on BET (DStv channel 129) on Tuesday 28 June at 6pm. Recognising the growing international appeal of African contemporary artists, eight African artists have been honoured in the BET Awards.

On the international scene, Drake leads the list of entertainers nominated at this year’s awards with an impressive nine nominations including “Best Male Hip Hop Artist”, “Video of Year”, and “Best Collaboration” for his hit “Where Ya At” with fellow hip hop artist Future. Beyoncé and Rihanna follow with five nods each with Beyoncé scoring nominations in “Best Female R&B/Pop Artist”, “Video of the Year”, and “Best Collaboration” for “Feeling Myself” with Nicki Minaj. Rihanna is in the running for awards including “Best Female R&B/Pop Artist”, “Video of the Year” and “Best Collaboration” for “Work” featuring Drake.

Other nominees include newcomer Bryson Tiller who is up for four awards including “Best Male R&B/Pop Artist”, while Chris Brown is also nominated in four categories including “Best Male R&B/Pop Artist” and “Video Director of the Year”. Future could also walk away with four awards, including one for “Best Male Hip Hop Artist”.

Thursday, 19 May 2016

MoneyGram continues to expand in Equatorial Guinea with the launch of money transfer services at Banco Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial (BANGE) locations.

MoneyGram customers in Equatorial Guinea now have fifteen new convenient locations where they can send and receive money between family and friends. BANGE is one of the leading commercial banks in the country. The bank provides financial services to thousands of customers in seven major cities.

Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest African countries inhabited by 800,000 people. A member of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), it’s one of the African’s largest oil producers. Equatorial Guinea is also among the largest recipients of foreign investments in Africa. The key sending countries to Equatorial Guinea are Spain, U.S., and Cameroon; most of the outbound transfers are sent to Spain.

Africa is a critical market for MoneyGram. The company has more than 30,000 locations in 50 countries on the continent.

American business magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates will deliver the 14th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture on 17 July 2016 (the eve of Mandela Day), Nelson Mandela Foundation in association with the University of Pretoria have announced.

Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will address the theme "Living Together" in his lecture at the University of Pretoria's Mamelodi campus.

The Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture is one of the Foundation's flagship programmes to honour our founder, Nelson Mandela, and to raise topical issues affecting South Africa, Africa and the rest of the world. It encourages both local and international dialogue - often about difficult subjects - as a means to address the multiple and complex challenges that face the world today. The Lectures are addressed by speakers who have made a significant contribution in their field of expertise.

"Living Together" highlights the need for a new social pact across the globe to end protracted conflict, overcome intolerance and prejudice, improve access to healthcare and education, and reduce poverty and inequality.

Aurecon has excelled in the national survey of consulting engineers undertaken by the management journal Professional Management Review Africa (PMR.africa). To determine the award winners, PMR.africa interviewed 140 professionals in the South African built environment and construction sector, including property developers, architects, quantity surveyors and contractors.

During the interviews, participants were asked to rate their perceptions of the performance of companies across a number of attributes such as Black Economic Empowerment, Competitive pricing, Problem solving, Reliability, Reputation, Responsiveness, Skills and qualifications of personnel, Technical competence, Timeous completion and Understanding and commitment to the clients’ interests.

The awards ceremony was held on Friday, 13 May at the Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg. Three of the six awards that Aurecon received were Diamond Arrow Awards, signifying ‘highest rated in category’. These categories include Mechanical Engineers, Combined Electrical and Mechanical Consulting Engineers and Electrical Consulting Engineers for firms with over 400 employees. The company also received three Golden Arrow Awards, which indicates that Aurecon was 1st or 2nd overall and rated at least 3.75 (Excellent) out of 5 by respondents. The categories that Aurecon received Golden Arrow Awards for are Civil Consulting Engineers, Structural Consulting Engineers and Combined Civil and Structural Consulting Engineers.

Nokia and leading Russian telecommunications operator MTS Group have signed a collaboration agreement that will create a strategic path to the realization of 5G technology and the management of the ever-growing demands of connected people and devices. The companies will deploy a test network during an international sports event in Russia in 2018.

It is estimated that the Internet of Things (IoT) will result in 10 to 100 times more connected devices than people, creating technological challenges, but also opportunities, for new services and applications. With this in mind, MTS has outlined a roadmap to evolve its networks to 5G.

Together with Nokia, MTS Group will develop test projects that leverage 4G technologies such as LTE-Advanced Pro as well as 5G to enable faster speeds, lower latency and new spectrum efficiencies. In 2018, the two companies will implement a 5G test network in a Russian football stadium to allow fans to experience innovative video and other services during the major event being staged there.

Following the successful launch of Orijin Zero in Lagos, Guinness Nigeria Plc., has taken another bold step by sampling the new variant of the Orijin Brand across all cities in Nigeria.

This is in continuation of its strategic drive to bring the brand more closely to Nigerians giving them an opportunity to enjoy the refreshing taste of the new brand.

The activations have seen the team sampling Orijin Zero in over 200 cities and locations. Consumers have enjoyed Orijin Zero in open markets, shopping malls, social gatherings and restaurants.

Consumers can attest to the unique taste of Orijin non-alcoholic carbonated soft drink. Titilayo, a consumer in Lagos Island said “I enjoy it because of the natural herbs and fruit extract which Orijin Zero is made from, and it’s a great substitute of regular carbonated soft drinks”.

The new non-alcoholic soft drink, Orijin Zero with the tagline: “Rethink your soft drink” joins the Orijin family which includes Orijin Bitters and the ready to drink Orijin.

Orange is launching a call for candidates for the 2016 Orange Social Venture Prize in Africa and the Middle East. The Orange Social Venture Prize, which aims to encourage start-ups that use innovation to fuel development on the African continent, is being extended to the Middle East and, this year, includes a Special Cultural Content Prize.

Applications may be made from 18 May to 21 September 2016 on the EntrepreneurClub.Orange.com website, Orange's new portal for entrepreneurs in Africa and the Middle East.

The projects of 4 start-ups will be recognized during the awards ceremony with prizes of 25,000, 15,000 and 10,000, while 5,000 euros will go to the winner of the Special Cultural Content Prize.

The 10 finalists of the Prize and the “Entrepreneur Club’s choice” award will also receive special support from the Grow Movement NGO for 6 months.

Net users are invited to participate in the selection by choosing their favourite project on the new Orange portal for entrepreneurs in Africa and the Middle East, EntrepreneurClub.Orange.com.

SAP has announced that the LeadershipGarage research program and the Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG) are collaborating with SAP Education Network for Digital Transformation to help business leaders run live in the digital era.

"We are pleased to launch a collaboration with LeadershipGarage and ASUG, and highlight opportunities for SAP customers to benefit from executive education on digital transformation," said Dr. Bernd Welz, executive vice president and global head of Scale, Enablement, and Transformation, SAP. "With strategic collaborations like these, SAP Education Network for Digital Transformation now offers customers even more opportunities to create a truly digital enterprise and take their innovation strategies to the next level."

SAP Education Network for Digital Transformation is an initiative to connect executives and professionals and help them prepare to lead their organizations through the digital transformation in collaboration with academia and partners. Leaders and professionals acquire skills to identify opportunities in the digital economy to improve customer experiences, prepare their workforces and optimize supply chains. They gain access to data to help predict the future and proactively adjust to changing conditions.

Mouthwatering 1.5 million naira cash prizes up for grab as the search for the next ‘big thing’ in Nigerian comedy has commenced. Indomie has kicks off the Indomie BelleFull comedy Challenge; an online competition to project funny, talented and creative individuals with a passion for comedy to limelight in the Nigerian comedy landscape.

Speaking on the challenge, Group Public relations and events manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju, stated that the length and breadth of Nigeria is laden with tremendous and mind blowing potentials in comedy, even as observed in the growth and fast paced development of the Nigerian comedy Industry which no doubt has attracted international attention and accolades.

“Amidst the current choking economic conditions, several Nigerians have learnt not to allow themselves and their great potentials be buried, but have found creative ways to polish and express these innate comic ability, and these are those the brand seeks to elevate beyond the rubbles in the Indomie Bellefull Comedy Challenge” said Asiwaju.

Talking on the mode of participation, the Brand Manager, Indomie, Mr. Amber Yadav, said participants are expected to creatively use the word “Bellefull” in their videos, show an Indomie product pack in the video, include the word “Bellefull” in the title of the video and then submit the funny video to www.indomiebellefull.wetransfer.com or bellefull@youlikenoother.com.